Frozen World

The Fairy Fish suddenly closed her eyes, and the towering water columns surrounding her enveloped her soft body. Her radiant body gradually faded and blurred at a visible speed, as if it was about to melt into the surging water around her, becoming increasingly transparent and almost ethereal.

The next instant, a clear, cold, ice-blue rhombus-shaped crystal slowly emerged from her heart, quietly floating on the surface of her skin, shimmering with a cool, chilling light, and wisps of icy blue light spreading outward along the water ripples.

As the ice crystal was fully revealed, the lake water that had been surrounding the group suddenly became agitated.

The once calm waters surged and roared, the undercurrents churned wildly, and tiny water droplets leaped upwards. The entire body of water was filled with surging vitality and biting cold, and every inch of water exuded an unbridled, violent power.

On the lakeshore, the players almost simultaneously noticed the sudden, bone-chilling cold that had arisen in the surrounding air.

The icy, chilly air seeped into my body through the gaps in my clothes, and the once warm and pleasant temperature was dropping at a visible rate, showing no signs of slowing down.

In just a few breaths, the bone-chilling cold enveloped everyone, raising goosebumps on their skin. The cold wind, when inhaled, stung their nasal passages, making them feel numb.

Why did it suddenly get so cold?

In the crowd, a player instinctively hugged himself tightly, hunched his neck, and turned to look at his companion beside him. As soon as he finished speaking, he exhaled a thick cloud of white breath from his mouth and nose, which instantly dissipated in the cold air.

His pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with disbelief and panic.

It was warm and cozy just a moment ago, but in just a few seconds, the temperature plummeted to such a terrifying level?

The other player beside him was already shivering uncontrollably from the cold, his teeth chattering, and he spoke in a trembling voice, his brow furrowed with lingering fear.

"I... I think the Fairy Fish is preparing a huge attack! Maybe... we should retreat as soon as possible, or the situation will get out of control!"

A deep sense of apprehension and unease welled up in the speaker's eyes.

The temperature change in this area began precisely at the moment the Fairy Fish's body turned transparent and an icy blue crystal appeared on her chest.

Furthermore, since the Fairy Fish is a high-level Magic Beast that controls the power of ice, there must be some intricate connection between these two strange phenomena, and it is definitely not just a simple coincidence.

Not only him, but all the other players on the shore also realized that following this clue would lead them to the key. Their faces were filled with horror, and their hearts were in turmoil.

The power and resources of high-level Magic Beast have become so formidable?

With just its elemental essence, it can easily shake the world and directly change the climate of the entire surrounding area!

Everyone gasped in unison, their hearts filled with utter shock.

This terrifying ability was beyond anyone's imagination.

For the inhabitants of Blue Star, the power of a single element can reshape the climate of a region.

Such a scene existed only in their wildest fantasies; they had never even imagined it.

Seeing this mind-blowing scene before them, a heavy fear gripped everyone's heart, and unease spread through their limbs like icy water.

At this moment, many players were considering quitting.

You can't blame them for being timid.

The Fairy Fish hadn't even unleashed its skill yet, and the weather was already this terrifying. They couldn't even imagine just how powerful the Fairy Fish's skill would be.

When the Fairy Fish unleashes its skill, even a high-level Magic Beast like the Bao Bao might be able to withstand the impact unscathed, but how will these players, made of flesh and blood, protect themselves?

I fear that if I'm not careful, the Fairy Fish's skills will attack indiscriminately, and I'll perish on the spot.

In the blink of an eye, most players just wanted to get away from this dangerous waterway.

If you hesitate even a moment longer and wait for the Fairy Fish's ultimate attack to fully materialize, it will probably be too late to escape.

Just as everyone was frantically preparing to retreat, they suddenly turned around and saw that all the players from the Dragon Nation Server were standing still, and not a single one of them had any intention of retreating.

The members of the United Rescue Team suddenly stopped in their tracks, falling silent for a moment, their hearts filled with conflicting emotions.

They had already split from the Dragon Nation players once before, so it would be unreasonable and illogical for them to flee again at this critical moment.

Moreover, they had no real confidence that they could escape safely, and no one could be sure how wide the area of effect the Fairy Fish was about to unleash.

What if the Fairy Fish's skills spread out instantly across the area, leaving them no time to escape the attack range?

After weighing the two options, staying here and joining forces with the Dragon Nation players became the safer choice.

The people of the Dragon Nation had a close relationship with the high-level Magic Beast, Bao Bao. Presumably, the Magic Beast wouldn't just stand by and watch them all perish at the hands of the Fairy Fish, so perhaps it would be safer for them to stay here.

Having grasped the implications, the players in the United Rescue Team suppressed their surging fear, forcibly calmed their chaotic minds, and made up their minds to stay with the Dragon Nation players.

Moreover, if they desert this time and manage to avoid the Fairy Fish's harm, everything will be fine.

However, if they fail to escape the Fairy Fish's skill range, no one can guarantee that Zhou He will bring Bao Bao to rescue them a second time.

Stay, that's all.

Let's take a gamble; if they win, they won't have to feel too embarrassed about what happened before.

The situation on the field changed in the blink of an eye. By the time Xiao Fan came to his senses, the situation around the entire body of water had already slid into a dangerous and uncontrollable state.

Xiao Fan was stunned for a moment. He had never thought of killing the Fairy Fish.

He just wanted to save people and complete a mission, how did it suddenly turn into a life-or-death situation?

Seeing that the icy power around the Fairy Fish was becoming increasingly violent, Xiao Fan didn't dare to delay for a moment. He quickly walked to the Bao Bao's side and asked in an urgent tone.

"Bao Bao, what's going on?"

Before Xiao Fan could finish speaking, the surrounding temperature had already plummeted to an abnormally low level.

The biting cold air seeped through their clothes, and many players on the shore had their limbs frozen stiff and numb, while their health bars above their heads continued to drop uncontrollably.

At this moment, the Bao Bao was no longer as relaxed and carefree as before. Its beastly eyes were fixed intently on the Fairy Fish in the center of the lake, whose condition had changed. Its whole body was tense and ready to fight, but it did not rush forward rashly.

It wasn't that she was unwilling to intervene, but rather that the ice element spreading wildly by the Fairy Fish had formed an invisible constraint, forcefully blocking the wind source upon which she relied to move. The wind flowing around her became sluggish and heavy, making it impossible for her to freely unleash a full-speed attack.

In terms of sheer power, the pure ice element's inherent power far surpasses that of ordinary water elements.

If the water element within the Fairy Fish hadn't mutated and evolved, even if she were to fight the Bao Bao to the death right now, the situation would never have deteriorated to this unmanageable state.

Ice-type magic has an inherent suppressive effect; wisps of biting cold tightly bind and slow down the wind element flowing around the Bao Bao, forming a natural restraint.

But when he thought of the unfathomable power of Zijin backing him up, Bao Bao's heart calmed down a little, and a bit of confidence rekindled in his eyes. He turned to face Xiao Fan and explained the pros and cons in a deep voice.

"She intends to burn away the natal ice crystal in her chest, completely emptying all the primordial elements within her, and unleash her ultimate, trump card."

"If this attack were to be unleashed in its full force, her natal crystal would be destroyed, and her very foundation would be completely severed, leaving her with no chance of survival. It would be a true life-or-death struggle."

At this point, Bao Bao paused slightly, his expression suddenly darkening as he looked at Xiao Fan with concern in his voice.

"Master, you must have the Zijin Boss protect you and evacuate this area first. The Fairy Fish is, after all, a high-level Magic Beast with profound strength. Its all-out attack, even if it's a matter of life and death, has immeasurable destructive power. With my strength alone, I may not be able to reliably protect your safety in a short time."

"What? They're actually willing to risk their lives?"

Xiao Fan's heart tightened, his lips pressed together, and he quickly tried to dissuade her, "Can't you find a way to stop her from taking this to the point of mutual destruction?"

Upon hearing this, the Fairy Fish, which had been gathering strength in the center of the lake, suddenly trembled with icy light, filled with astonishment and speechlessness, and couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity.

"Does this guy even realize what the situation is? He's about to unleash his ultimate attack, and all the ice elements in the entire body of water have already coalesced. If he stops halfway through now, does that mean he won't fight to the death?"

Why didn't you say so sooner that you weren't going to work hard?

Are you sick?

How can she stop now?

Seeing that the Fairy Fish showed no signs of stopping, Xiao Fan hurriedly explained to the Bao Bao, his brows furrowed with anxiety.

"I also have a special mission assigned to me by the Fairy Fish. I must find Fairy Fish to complete it. If she perishes, what will happen to my mission?"

Xiao Fan truly hadn't expected that the confrontation between the Magic Beast would immediately escalate into a life-or-death struggle.

He had initially thought that Bao Bao just wanted to have a fair competition with Fairy Fish and test the strength of their elements. He never imagined that their conflict would escalate to the point of fighting to the death.

His current situation, ironically, made him somewhat embarrassed.

Bao Bao:...

The long and suppressed buildup finally came to an end, and the Fairy Fish in the center of the lake's water column slowly opened its drooping eyelids.

The previously dull, lifeless fish eye has now transformed into a pure, translucent ice blue, clear and deep, like a perfectly polished piece of ancient jade, shimmering with a chilling light.

Her entire body was completely frozen, like a naturally formed mermaid ice sculpture. The ends of her hair were covered with fine, sharp ice crystals, and each strand of hair was wrapped in thick frost. It swayed gently with the water flow, creating a soft, crisp sound of ice cracking.

The icy blue rhombus-shaped natal crystal on her chest, which supported all her essence, was now rapidly losing its luster and dimming. The halo was shrinking inward layer by layer, and the internal primordial power was almost completely drained. The dim and weak luster was teetering on the verge of collapse, as if it would be completely extinguished in the next second, disappearing into the world along with her life force.

The Fairy Fish's icy, chilling gaze was fixed firmly on Xiao Fan and his group on the shore, her eyes devoid of any emotion, only an eternally frozen indifference and resolute determination.

Her lips, covered in Frost, parted slightly, and a clear, cold female voice, devoid of any warmth, pierced through the howling wind and spread throughout the entire body of water.

"Frozen World."

The moment those four words fell, all sounds in the world vanished. The sounds of wind, flowing water, and the panicked whispers of the players were all frozen by an invisible chill, plunging the entire space into deathly silence.

The dim natal crystal on her chest suddenly erupted with a final, dazzling icy blue light, and countless pure ice essences surged wildly out of the crystal, flowing into the lake water along her transparent body.

The previously turbulent lake surface froze instantly, with layers of solid ice rapidly spreading upwards from the bottom, the ice patterns spreading wildly like a spider web, sealing off the entire lake in an instant.

The biting cold air surged outwards in a ring from the Fairy Fish, freezing the grass, soil, and pebbles on the ground instantly, and covering them with a thick layer of solid ice.

All the water vapor in the sky condensed into a giant ice mist dome, covering the area for miles around. Water droplets floating in the air, scattered pebbles, and even the white breath exhaled by everyone were all frozen in mid-air, turning into crystal-clear ice particles that floated still. Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

The Wind Element flowing around the Bao Bao was suppressed by the surging ice force, and the originally agile and swift wind became stagnant and heavy.

She quickly leaped in front of Xiao Fan, tensing her fur and unleashing her full power to spread a light blue wind shield. However, as soon as the newly formed wind shield came into contact with the spreading ice domain, Frost rapidly condensed on its surface, and cracks spread inch by inch.

Seeing this, Bao Bao had no choice but to put Xiao Fan on its back and leap into the air to avoid the rapidly spreading ice below.

Xiao Fan was alright because he was protected by Bao Bao, but the players behind him weren't so lucky.

"Run, run fast!"

Seeing the situation before them, the players finally panicked and ran away without looking back.

However, because the Fairy Fish froze so quickly, the players didn't even have time to take two steps before their legs were instantly locked in place by the ice.

The icy chill climbed up his trouser leg, tearing at his skin with a piercing pain, and his health bar plummeted at a visible rate.

In no time, the fleeing players turned into human-shaped ice sculptures, their faces still showing expressions of terror.

"Not good."

By the time Xiao Fan realized what was happening, the surroundings had already transformed into a world of ice and snow.

Xiao Fan's expression changed drastically; he never expected that the Fairy Fish's ultimate move would be so powerful.

Freezing indiscriminately over such a long distance at such a high speed.

That's truly the strongest move of a high-level Magic Beast; it's damn powerful.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhou He and the others were still alive, Xiao Fan really wouldn't know what to do.

At this moment, Bao Bao seemed to realize he had gone too far, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.

The Fairy Fish floated in the center of the giant ice in the lake, her body visibly fading away, the light of her natal crystal dissipating bit by bit. She had given up her entire life's cultivation and elemental essence to create this frozen domain that was enough to bury the entire area.

The frigid ice walls closed in from all directions, threatening to seal everyone on the shore in this perpetually frozen land.

And she too will die completely.